My husband has developed a really horrible case of Adult Onset Eczema (Atopic Dermititis). His arms and legs are covered in large, red, extremely itchy patches. It looks horrible, and feels worse. He’s never had eczema before; while he would develop dry patches on his skin from time to time, they always went away with a few days worth of lotion.
He finally (after weeks of the rash spreading all over his body) sent pictures to his doctor, who offered to make him an appointment with a dermatologist, but also suggested it was probably eczema and ordered him an ointment that should be here later this week.
I feel bad for my husband. He is dealing with a fair amount of discomfort. And from what I know of eczema (both my kids had it so I’ve done some research and seen some dermatologists), its really hard to get rid of. The stuff I’ve read online about adult onset atopic dermititis is really disheartening. Its very possible he could be dealing with this for the rest of his life.
I wish I knew why it showed up so suddenly. I haven’t changed laundry detergents. He hasn’t changed his soap or shampoo. He hasn’t changed his diet or eating habits. He did travel overseas in November (to Bogotá), but we went to Colombia this summer too and he didn’t have a reaction then. I just can’t fathom what caused him to get such an intense case of eczema when nothing, really, has changed.
If you have any experience with adult onset eczema and have any suggestions for managing it, please let me know. If you don’t want to write about it in a comment, you can tell me you have more to say and I will email you. Thanks.
A relative has this. Manages with gluten free diet + various ointments. For sure stress exacerbates it.
Really hope he gets some relief. Sounds totally miserable.
Energetically, this can mean that someone is “under his skin.” I notice flare-ups when I’m irritated by someone. In addition to ointment, I’m also doing inner work to identify the irritation and deal with it in a more conscious way than through my skin. It’s a journey, for sure. Good luck to your husband.
Could it be later in life developed allergies to ingredients he has used without reacting to before? Chamomile and ALOE are now on my list of ingredients that cause troubles. Chamomile is related to ragweed I believe and everyone says aloe is not allergy reactive but repeated experience has made it totally clear to me that I AM reactive to aloe. I found it took 2 weeks totally free of those things and then improvement began. (Aloe is found in fricking everything. I spent over 20 minutes looking at EWG approved shampoos at Whole Fds before I found one to use….. Worth every minute!) Obviously his sensitivities could be different but start tracking chemicals in products……..
NOT FUN. Not nice at Christmas when you all are so pressed for time, energy, and relaxation. REMEMBER: all holiday preparations end no later than midnight on 12/23!!!!!!
My daughter has this, not an adult, but same description. Soaking in a tub with apple cider vinegar clears her flare ups. I know it sounds crazy, but it really works. Takes about 3 days to a week to clear all the way. Just 4 cups in a warm tub for 30 mins. Relives a lot of the misery too. Followed with a cocoa butter cream. The creams they gave her made it worse.
Did he get any vaccines for his travel? Those can trigger the eczema. My sister travels a lot for work and developed a severe cat allergy after traveling to Nicaragua and doing all the required vaccines. Eczema is usually a symptom of gut dysbiosis, so it would be worth looking into healing the gut lining with probiotics, gf diet, cod liver oil, etc.
I’ve been reading a lot about celery juice lately and as an anti-inflammatory how it can help with many problems, including eczema and underlying gut issues. Hope he can find something to help, that sounds miserable!